Portable carpet cleaners work best if you’re typically dealing with spills or smaller stains and want a cleaner that doesn’t take up much space. Many of the models we reviewed also include features like pet hair removal tools that’ll undoubtedly be appealing to pet owners. You can also easily move a portable cleaner around if you want to clean a stain out in your car or on a stairwell.

We get it - if you live in a large home you need something a bit more heavy-duty, which is where an upright vacuum like the SEBO Automatic X7 Excel ePower Upright Vacuum Cleaner absolutely shines. Granted, this vacuum is big (it's got a 31cm cleaning head, and a 10 metre cord), but that makes it the kind of powerhouse you need for a large space. Testing several of the vacuums included in this round-up has allowed her to see which model excels at which task, and to judge them on all of the crucial factors of suction, as well as ease of use and storage, which is important in her very compact space. She's also constantly looking out for the newest vacuum releases and technology so that she can keep you better informed on which appliance to buy. For everyday use, most households will be fine with the Hoover SmartWash+ or Bissell ProHeat — they’re both much cheaper than the Revolution and can handle typical stains without missing a beat. If you’re looking for a heavy-duty carpet cleaner, the Revolution’s HydroSteam system works as advertised, but you’ll pay extra for the additional cleaning power. If anything goes wrong with your cleaner, the SmartWash+ comes with an extended five-year warranty. It has one of the widest cleaning heads we tested at 12 inches, an inch wider than the Bissell ProHeat, and it’s 0.5-gallon dirty water tank was a bit larger than the Bissel’s 0.4-gallon tank. A 22-foot power cord and 8-foot attachment hose give you plenty of room to work.The Beko Powerclean is easy to use and comes with a range of attachments that will adapt to any home. There are two brushrolls that can be switched out for hard floors and carpets, as well as a crevice tool, mini brush head and dusting attachment.

The Bissell Revolution HydroSteam Pet’s new HydroSteam system applies direct steam to carpets for heavy-duty cleaning — and it performed phenomenally in our testing, pulling out ample dirt from a medium-pile rug and removing multiple grease stains on a high-use foam kitchen mat. In steam mode, we saw visible steam from the Revolution’s head and felt strong residual heat after passing the cleaner over an area. There were three modes to choose from: Eco, Auto, and Boost, and each one resulted in a different noise level and suction. All three settings held up very well in testing, and will be great for catering to different types of homes. One of our favourite things about this vacuum was the clever charging stand, which has a progress bar for battery life. It's a lifesaver if you can't drill a holder into your walls, and makes the whole appearance of this vacuum look more sleek.Preventative maintenance is a term we use a lot at Flamecraft. This is because it is so important. It is always better to preform regular maintenance to your hearth to help prevent any issues arising later. A weekly clean is one of the best forms of preventative maintenance, because it helps protect against build ups of dust, ash and other residues. For this reason, we advise that you clean your slate hearth with a very dilute solution of warm, soapy water once a week. It really is the fine details that make a vacuum better to use, which is why you can't overlook the magic of a Dyson bin mechanism. Point the dust bin, pull the trigger and everything will actually come out the first time without a fuss - something that pretty much no other vacuum brand has achieved.

Remove with warm water and a soft cloth or towel. If you’re nervous about trying this for the first time then spot test before you get going! 6. Pour absorbent material on oil stains The design is well thought out, and every feature and tool is easy to reach. On top of the CleanSlate, you’ll find a carrying handle, water tanks and a removable hose cleaning tool. To use the tool, you simply attach it to the top of the hose and hold down the solution trigger — it’ll spray cleaning solution down your hose and flush any grime right into the water tank.

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You don’t want to be bleaching anything coloured! Not to worry though, shaving cream is an alternative option and can be used on coloured grout. The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog vacuum lives up to its name, with a turbo brush floor head for whipping up pet (and human) hair, as well as a regular carpet floor head and another for hard floors. It is most definitely one of the top pet vacuumson the market, which is how it earned its place in this list. One of our favorite features on the Hoover Power Scrub is its SpinScrub brush system. Instead of a standard rotating roller brush, the Power Scrub has a series of horizontal brush heads that spin around to dislodge stains. In our testing, the Power Scrub needed only a few passes to clean up dirt, soy sauce and fruit punch stains. It also features a handy Rinse mode that lets you use just water to wash out leftover cleaning solution from your carpet; we’d love to see this option on more carpet cleaners, since many have you premix your water and cleaning solution. The Hoover has two hefty 1.25-gallon water tanks, so you’ll have a good supply on hand. The CleanSlate also comes with a two-year warranty along with sizable 23-ounce dirty water and 40-ounce clean water tanks. Although the CleanSlate’s tanks are smaller compared to the Bissell Little Green Pro’s heftier 3/4-gallon tanks, they’re also far easier to clean. The Bissell’s dirty water tank has a small plastic lip that occasionally catches sediment along with nooks that require multiple rinses to be fully cleaned out. By comparison, the Hoover’s tank has a simpler layout, and it’s easy to rinse out with some hot water and a paper towel. If you have carpeting or rugs in your home — and especially if you have pets or kids along with them — you’ve probably spent some time trying stain removers of various kinds to deal with spills, pet messes and the grime that builds up with everyday wear. But sprays and scrubbing will only get you so far.

The ProHeat also uses Bissell’s Heatwave system, which relies on a small fan to heat up the cleaner’s clean water tank. By comparison, some Hoover upright cleaners vent warm air to help dry out your carpet, but none do the same for their water tank. In our testing, the heated water tank wasn’t a huge game changer — the ProHeat and Hoover SmartWash+ performed just about the same during our carpet stain removal testing, though the ProHeat lets you work for longer stretches since you don’t have to refill with warm water as you do with the SmartWash+. If you’re deep cleaning a whole floor with the Bissell, its heated water tank is a nice convenience, but we wouldn’t call it an essential feature. A vacuum can be an expensive investment, especially if you want one that will see you through many years of service (you know what they say, buy cheap, buy twice!). Below, you'll find factors you might want to think about before you take the plunge, to ensure you're actually getting the right vac for you. We also prioritized usability and design during our evaluations. Models that were easy to carry around, clean and maintain earned the best marks throughout our testing. I recently engaged Debbie from Clean Slate to help me when I found myself totally overwhelmed with chaos, due to a recent move and serious health issues. When we brought the handle down, the jumbo-size clean water tank shifted the weight balance of the handle toward the top and made it awkwardly top-heavy. On models like the Hoover SmartWash+, the handle section includes both water tanks to help evenly distribute weight across the handle. The Power Scrub’s clean mode buttons are also awkwardly placed on the cleaner’s front side, and this can be a slight hassle if you’re adjusting modes mid-clean.

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It's the little things that make this vacuum great, alongside the pet-appropriate level of power and suction. The ability to operate the vacuum by using your foot makes manoeuvring easier, and switching between modes is really easy too. It has wonderful consistent power and the hose is extra long, with 8.5 metres of freedom to get around your house. The canister was easy and fairly dust-free to empty too. Emptying: There’s a distinction to be made between bagless vacs and those which still have the traditional bag system. While bagless systems might be a little riskier with the mess, brands such as Dyson have engineered clever trigger systems so that you can aim for your bin better. Bagged systems are more expensive and arguably fussier.